Tree trimmers place low value on life of bird

Friday, July 26, 2002

To the editor:

In all my life, I have only seen one other act of stupidity that even comes close to the ignorance and smugness of the power company. That was the gas company, which destroyed an azalea bush that will never come back.

The electric company, the current offending culprit, lopped off the top of a very lovely pine tree. This tree was not in the power company's way and bore a nest of birds. The electric company could have removed a few offending limbs. Instead its crew took the whole top of the tree along with a nest with a young bird in it.

I carefully scooped up the young bird and considered the prospect of feeding it and returning it to nature. Realizing that I would not know how to accomplish this, I handed the baby bird to the workers who destroyed its home. One of the workers put the bird on the ground and stepped on it.

The workers should have taken the bird to the Conservation Department. Why is the power company allowed to run amuck on our property? Why are we not allowed to have any say in what happens to our own property and the lives that reside there?